Thousands of homes in East Sussex left with low to no water pressure amid heatwave

Thousands of water customers have been hit by water shortages because of low rainfall and an increase in demand due to the hot weather.

Homes in East Sussex, supplied by South East Water, are experiencing low to no water pressure - as temperatures in the area reach highs of 26°C.

Areas affected include Wadhurst, Staplehurst, Cranbrook, Crowborough, Rotherfield, Mayfield, Wadhurst and parts of Brighton.

The shortage has forced the closure of schools at Rotherfield and Crowborough.

South East Water has set up bottled water stations and is asking customers to check its website where it will be posting updates.

Its Customer Care team is delivering water to customers on its priority services register.

The company is also urging people to use water for essential purposes only in Sussex - and Kent too - as it struggles to replenish supplies.

South East Water’s Operations Director Douglas Whitfield said: “We’ve not had any significant rainfall since the end of April and this has put considerable pressure on our ability to treat, pump and supply water to our all customers.

“Together with increased demand, this has impacted the amount of treated water wehave in our drinking water storage tanks across the regions.

“We’re asking our customers to commit to only using water that’s needed for essentials –things like drinking, cooking and hygiene. If we can all do that for the next few days, we willbe able to refill the network much faster.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...